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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. scale — in music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. last — final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rule — a law
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com